Residents press Rexburg leaders on fiber fees and traffic lights; staff outline signal timing tradeoffs

A Rexburg resident used the public‑comment period on April 1 to raise three operational concerns: illegible directional signage, a $350 fiber installation charge on new construction, and recurring traffic‑signal timing and camera performance problems.

Vince Haley said a builder in Somerfield was quoted a $350 installation fee to connect new construction to the municipal fiber ring and warned the fee could disadvantage the city's offering because competing providers do not charge the fee. Staff explained the fee comes from a private supplier or provider of the last‑mile connection and that the city leases the backbone fiber to a third party; the council encouraged staff to relay the feedback to the provider but noted the provider makes the business decision on installation charges.

Haley and several council members also described repeated problems at specific intersections, including long waits on Sunday mornings at the Rexburg Motorsports signal and difficulty timing the four lights along the underpass. Engineering staff (Keith) explained that fiber connectivity enables synchronized timing plans that move "platoons" of vehicles through multiple green lights, but that camera detection and timed signal plans are often in tension: cameras prioritize detected side‑street vehicles while coordinated timing aims to clear main‑street flows. Staff said a consultant is needed to develop and implement a signal timing plan that uses the fiber ring; the city has previously tried isolated time clocks, which drifted out of sync.

Councilors asked staff to pursue signal‑timing improvements and to review camera performance (including so‑called ghost calls where cameras report vehicles that are not present). Staff agreed to investigate problem intersections and to pursue consultant support for a coordinated plan.